Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside

Sadly, this is our last day in The Netherlands and we get the ferry back to Hull from Rotterdam this evening. However, after a lazy start following our late night at the King’s night festival, and despite wind and rain, we decided to go to the seaside.

Scheveningen is a district of The Hague. It’s a modern seaside resort with a long, sandy beach, a promenade, a pier, and a lighthouse. We drove in and initially struggled to find somewhere to park Bertie because everywhere seemed to have height barriers. However, for a rather large fee, we managed to find spaces at the far end of the prom. It was great watching lots of brave people windsurfing and kiteboarding in the rough sea.

We walked towards the pier at the other end of the beach, glad that the wind was behind us. The sand was blowing everywhere and it stung! About half way along, we found the ‘Sculptures by the Sea’ garden, with some interesting and fun pieces of artwork. All of a sudden, the heavens opened so we dashed into the nearest beach cafe for lunch. By chance we picked a good one and had a delicious meal and bottle of wine, feeling sorry for the lads having to remove and then replace the covers on the sofas and chairs outside as the heavy showers came and went!

Then it was time to visit the pier, which was renovated in 2015 and is lovely. It’s 400 metres long and has lots of bars, shops and restaurants. It was bustling with people and had a lovely atmosphere with live music playing.

There’s a tower at the end of the pier, which is used for bungy jumps, although not today in the strong wind! In fact, we were surprised to be allowed to climb it. We were clinging to the inside of the tower, particularly on the side of the spiral stairs that wasn’t sheltered and took the full force of the storm! The views from the top were well worth it though… the beach to either side, the grand buildings on the prom, The Hague in the distance, and the pier with waves swirling and pounding below. Stunning!

Unfortunately, time ran out and we had to get back to Bertie before our parking ticket ran out. We walked back along a street parallel to the prom so we weren’t sand blasted by the wind.

It was then an hour’s drive to the ferry port in Rotterdam where we boarded straight away, found our cabin, and then sat in the bar before dinner. The sailing was smooth despite the wind, although I didn’t sleep well. Now we’re nearly home, and looking forward to seeing Millie and having lunch with mum and dad.